Automatic dynamo-regulator.



N9. 705,487. Patented July 22, |902.

W. A. TURBAYNE.

AUTOMATIC DYNAM REGULATOR.

'XApplcation filed Jan. 13, 1902.) (No Mode.) 2 Sheeis--Sheet I.

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No. 705,487. Patented July 22,1902.

- w. A. TURBAYNE.

AUTOMATIC DYNAMO REGULATOR.

(Application filed Jan. 13, 1902.)

(N0 Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEIOE.

'WILLAM A. TURBAYNE, OE BUFFALO, NEW YORK, AssiGNOR 'ro CHARLES M. eO-ULD, OE NEw YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATlC DYNAMO-REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 705,487, dated July 22, 1902. Application iiled January 13, 1902. Serial No. 89,413. (No model.)

To tl-Z whom) t may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM A. TURBAYNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Dynamo-Regulators, Of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an electric-lighting apparatus in which the generator or dy- Io namo is driven from a driving axle or shaft by a belt and is movably mounted and provided with means for moving the dynamo toward and from the driving-shaft, whereby the belt is slackened and permitted to slip when I5 the speed of the driving-shaft exceeds a normal speed, which is necessary to properly drive the dynamo for a desired output, and is tightened when the speed of the drivingshaft is only sufiicient or less than sufficient 2o to drive the dynamo at the normal or desired speed, thus maintaininga practically uniform speed of the dynamo, and consequentlya uniform output.

The. invention is especially applicable to lighting apparatus for railway-cars where the dynamo for supplying the current for the lights is driven from one of the car-axles, the speed of which varies with the speed of the car.

3o The Object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient mechanism for automatically moving the dynamo toward and from the driving-shaft for tightening or slackeuing the belt.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a dynamo and automatic regulating means embodying the invention and showing the dynamo driven from the car-axle. Fig. 2

4o is a sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is au enlarged fragmentary section through the bearing for thescrew-shaft and associated parts. Fig. 4L is asection through the solenoid. Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly in section, on an enlarged scale, of the regulating mechanism. Fig. 6 is a sectional View ou the line 6 6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical connections.

5o Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the dynamo or generator; B, an axle of the car on which the dynamo is supported; l), a belt-pulley on said axle, and Z2, a belt driven by said pulley and which 55 drives a pulley b2, secured to the armatureshaft of the dynamo. The dynamo, as usual, is hung from the car-frame of the car and is mounted in anysuitable manner to movetoward and from the driving-axle. Preferably 6o the dynamo is mounted as described in United States Letters Patent granted to NV. F. Richards March 13, 1900, and numbered 645,216. lu the apparatus described in said patent the dynamo is carried by a carriage C, provided with bearings c, which slide horizontally on parallel guide-'bars d, supported at their Opposite ends by suitable brackets c2, secured to and depending from the car-frame. 'lhe dynamo is suspended from the carriage by 7o inclined parallel links D, which are pivoted at their upper ends to the carriage and at their lower ends to the dynamo, their lower ends being nearer the driving-axle than their upper ends,whereby the weight of the dynamo tends to swing the links to a vertical position and tighten the driving-belt.

E represents a screw-shaft which is journaled to rotate and is held from longitudinal movement in a suitable bearing e, depending 8o from a suitable support, such as one of the bearing-brackets for the longitudinal guiderods. The screw threaded portion of the shaft extends through a screw-threaded opening in a lug e', secured to the lougitudinally- 85 movable carriage,the arrangement being such that when the shaft is turned in one direction the carriage is moved away from the drivingaxle and when the shaft is turned in the opposite direction the carriage is moved toward 9o the drive-axle. The forward end of the screwshaft projects into a casing F, which is supported in any suitable manner beneath the car-frame, and on the shaft inside of said casing are fixed two ratchet-wheels G and H, the teeth of which extend in opposite directions.

J represents a double pawl which is provided with nosesjj, extending in opposite directions from a central hubjz, each nose lying in the vertical plane of one of the ratchetroo wheels G and H. The pawl is pivotally secured in any suitable manner to an oscillating pawl-lever which is pivotally mounted concentric with the screw-shaft and preferably on a bushing lo, surrounding the shaft between the bearing c and the ratchet-wheel H. The lever is provided with an upwardlyprojecting arm K, which carries the double pawl and a horizontally-projecting arm 7c'. The upper end of the uprightarm of the lever is provided with a forwardly-extending horizontal part chaving a depending end portion 7c3, between which and the upright part of the arm the hub of the double pawl is pivoted.

M represents an electric motor which th rough suitable connections is adapted to oscillate the pawl-lever. As shown in the drawings, the armature-shaft m of the motor is provided with a worm m', which meshes with a worm-wheel m2, journaled on a suitable bearing ma, which is secured to the adjacent side oftheinclosing casingF. Thehorizontalarm 7.o of the pawl-lever extends beside the front face of the worm-wheel and is provided with an elongated slot anhin which engages a crankpin m5, secured eccentrically to the face of the worm-wheel. "When the motor is set in operation, as hereinafter described, the oscillating pawl-lever is caused to rock or oscillate back and forth, carrying the double pawl therewith. It' one nose of the double pawl is in engagement with the teeth of its ratchetwheel when the lever oscillates, the screwshaft will be turned in one direction. If the other nose of the double pawl is in engagement with the teeth of its ratchet-wheel, the screw-shaft will be turned in the opposite direction.

N represents a solenoid or other suitable electrical device which through suitable connections is adapted to shift the double pawl to throw one or the other of its noses into operative engagement with its cooperating ratchet-wheel. As shown in the drawings, the solenoid-coil is supported in anysuitable manner in the inclosing casing F, and is provided with a movable core n, the upper end of which is connected by a link n' to the horizontal arm n2 of a bent shifting lever, which is pivoted ata3 on the inclosing casing and provided with a depending arm n4.

O represents a spring which is rigidly connected at its upper end to the hub of the double pawl J. The lower end of this spring extends downwardly between two separate lugs o on the lower end of the shifting lever. Preferably the lever is provided with setscrews o2, which pass through screw-threaded openings in the lugs 0' on each side of the lower end of the spring. This construction provides means for adjusting the lower end of the spring toward or from one or the other of lthe lugs, so that in the central orintermediate position of the shifting levers both noses of the pawl will be held out of engagement with the teeth of their ratchet-wheels. l/Vhen the core of the solenoid is raised by energizing the coil, the horizontal arm of the shifting lever is thrown up and the lower end of the spring thrown inwardly or toward the solenoid, which yieldingly holds the nose j of the double pawl in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel Gr. lVhen the core is moved downwardly, the lower end of the lever is thrown in the opposite direction and the other nosej of the pawl is held yieldingly in engagement with the teeth of its ratchetwheel H. The solenoid is preferably provided with an air dash-pot for preventing toosudden and jerking a movement of the same. As shown in the drawings, a yoke p is secured Ato the lower end of the solenoid-coil and extends downwardly therefrom,having between its supporting-legs a piston p', carried at the upper end ot' a piston-rod p2, which is secured to the cross-piece at the lower end of the yoke.

l) represents a dash-pot cylinder which is open at its lower end and slidably engages over the piston. The upper end of the dashpot is connected bya link p3 to the lower end of the core of the solenoid. If preferred, the solenoid-core may be provided with a substantially U-shaped iron frame,(shown in Fig. 4,) having a horizontal bottom piece p4, extending laterally beneath the coil of the solenoid, and vertically-extending side arms p5, extending up at diametrically opposite sides of the coil in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of the adjacent ratchetwheels. This frame constitutes a magnetic shield, which prevents leakage from the coil to the near-by iron parts of the apparatus.

The electrical circuits for energizing the solenoid-coil and operating the motor are controlled by an automatic device, such as a centrifugal governor, actuated by the dynamoshaft, and which operates cut-outs, as hereinafter described. The governor, cut-outs, and electrical connections (shown in the diagrammatic view, Fig. 7) are arranged and operate as follows:

R R' R2 R3 represent switch contact-plates, and r o" represent switch-blades carried by a movable switch-arm r2, which is moved to throw its switch-blades into and out of contact with the contact-plates by a suitable centrifugal governor S. The governor is shown as applied to the end of the armature-shaft, and the construction is such that when the shaft reaches a predetermined desired speed the outward movement of the governor-balls, through the connections with the switcharm, moves the latter toward the contactplates.

T represents the lights or other translating devices, and U the storage battery for supplying current in the lights when the dynamo is out of action or not running at a sufficient speed for the desired voltage. The opposite terminals of the battery are connected to the opposite terminals of the light-circuit by wires u u. When the armature-shaft of the dynamo is running and before it reaches the necessary speed to give the desired current IOO IIO

strength, the switch-blades on the switcharm are out of contact with the contact-plates. When the armature-shaft has reached the requisite speed to produce the necessary current for the lights, the switch-arm is moved by the governor toward the contact-plates, and the switch-blade connects the two contact-plates R R', which extend nearer to the switch-arm than the other contact-plates. The current then iiows from the positive pole of the battery, through the wire u2, to the contact-plates R, thence through the switchblade r, contact R, wire us to the field of the dynamo, wires a4 a5, through the coil of the solenoid N, and by branch wire a6, through a variable-resistance device a7. The divided current joins again at the wire us, which leads to the negative pole of the battery. The field of the dynamo is thus energized, and the dynamo commences immediately to generate a current which flows from the positive brush o, by the wire fu', to the armature of the Inotor M, thence by wire e2 back to the negative brush of the dynamo. This current starts the operation of the electric motor. Before the current passing through the solenoid has reached a sufiicient strength to raise its core the weight of the latter, through the connections previously described, holds the nose ,7 of the double pawl down in engagement with the teeth of its ratchet-wheel H, and the operation of the motor turns the screw-shaft to the left, which causes the dynamo to move away from the car-axle and tighten the driving-belt. An instant after the switch-arm has closed the battery-circuit through the contact-plates R R, as indicated, the governor moves the switch arm farther and throws the switch-blades 7' r into contact with all of the contact-pieces. Current then flows from the positive brush of the dynamo c to the motor, as before stated, and by the wire 'tu to the contact-piece R2, through the switch-blade o", contact R', wire u2, part going to the battery to charge the same and part to the lights. The divided current joins in the wire u8 and flows part through the solenoidcoil in the opposite direction to that in which the battery-current iiowed and part to the variable resistance a7. The divided current joins in wire a5 and iiows through the same to contact R4, switch-blade r', contact R3,wire w to the negative brush of the dynamo. The motor will continue to turn the screw-shaft to the left until the dynamo attains the requisite or normal speed for maintaining the lights, when the increased energization of the solenoid will lift its core sufficiently high to throw the pawl-nose j out of engagement with its ratchet-wheel. Whilethe dynamoisrunning at this normal speed, both noses of the pawl will be up out of engagement with their ratchet-wheels. The current also fiows from the positive brush of the dynamo and wire w through contact R2, switch-blade r, contact R, wire as, field of the dynamo, wire a4', wire a5, contact R4, switch-blade o", contact back to the negative brush of the dynamo. If the strength of the current is augmented by an increased speed of the driving-axle, so that it is greater than necessary for the load on the light-circuit, the energization of the solenoid is increased and the core thereof is caused to move upward suliiciently far to throw the nose ,7' of the double pawl into engagement with the teeth of its ratchet-wheel Gr, when through the motor, which is in operation, and the driving connections, the pawl-lever is caused to oscillate and rotate the ratchet-wheel and screw-shaft E to the right, which moves the dynamo-carriage toward the driving-axle and slackens the belt, thus decreasing the speed of the dynamo and bringing the strength of the current back to the normal. The variable resistance a7 in the branch of the solenoid-circuit makes it possible to shunt more or less of the current around the solenoid, this requiring a greater or less strength to operate the solenoid to throw the nose j into operative engagement withthe ratchet-wheel. Bythisarrange'ment the solenoid can be set to operate when the speed of the dynamo-shaft is such as to produce any desired current strength,

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a driving element, a generator mounted to move relative to said driving element, drive connections between said driving elelnent and the generator, means for moving said generator, and electricallycontrolled mechanism for actuating said moving means and which operates upon a variation of the speed of said generator, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a driving element,a generator mounted to move relative to saidV driving element, drive connections betweenI said driving element and the generator,l a

motor and connections for moving saidl generator, and electrically-controlled means for operatively connecting said motor with said generator for moving the same and which operates upon a variation of the speed of said generator, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a driving element, a generator mounted to move relative to said driving element, drive connections between said driving element and the generator, an electric motor for moving the generator, an electromagnetic device operatively connecting said motor with the generator for moving the same, said electromagnetic device being controlled by the speed of said generator, substantially as set forth.-

4. The combination of a driving element, a generator mounted to move relative to said driving element, drive connections between said driving element and the generator, an electric motor for moving the generator, an electromagnetic device for operatively connecting said motor with the generator for moving the same, a governor operated by the gen- IOO 1 Ifo erator, and electrical connections for said electromagnetic device controlled by said governor, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a driving element, a generator mounted to move relative to said driving element, drive connections between said driving element and the generator, an electric motor for moving the generator, an electromagnetic device for operatively connecting said motor with the generator for moving the same, a governor actuated by the generator, and electrical connections for said electromagnetic device and said motor controlled by said governor, substantially as set forth.

G. The combination of a driving element, a generatorl mounted to move relative to said driving element, drive connections between said driving element and the generator, a device for moving the generator toward and from said driving element7 an electric motor, connections between the saine and said device whereby the latter can be moved in one or the other direction, an electromagnetic device controlling said connections, whereby the direction of movement of said device is determined, a governoroperated by the generator, and electrical connections for said electromagnetic device controlled by said governor, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a driving element, a generator, mounted to move toward and from said driving element, drive connections between said driving element and the generaveiller tor, a screw for moving said gene lator toward and from said driving element, an electric motor, a ratchet-and-pawl mechanism between said motor and screw whereby the same can be rotated in either direction an electromagnetic device controlling said ratchet-and-pawl mechanism, a governor actuated by the generator, and electrical connections for said electromagnetic device controlled by said governor, substantially as set forth.

S. The combination of a driving element, a generator mounted to move toward and from said driving element, drive connections between said driving element and the generator, a screw for moving said generator toward and from said driving ele1nent,an electric motor, ratchet-wheels connected to said screw, an oscillating` lever operated by said motor, pawls carried by said lever and cooperating with said ratchet-wheels, an electromagnetic device for moving one or the other of said pawls into engagement with the teeth of its ratchet-wheel, a governor actuated by the generator, and electrical connections for said electromagnetic device controlled bysaid governor, substantially as set forth.

lVitness myhand this 7th day of January, 1902.

VVlLLlAW A. TURBAYNE.

lVitnesses:

CHAs. W. PARKER, JN0. J. Bosnian. 

